Building out your resume can be a challenging job. It doesn’t help that the time you have to learn things is limited between work and the rest of your life. The good news is that you can learn marketable skills in your free time.

There are many resources online that allow you to learn these skills for free. Knowing which skills are valued and where you can learn them can help you bolster your resume to find your next position.

Even if a project you face is outside of your abilities, your coding knowledge will allow you to communicate better what you need when you seek external assistance.

Many resources exist to teach coding, and many of them allow you to go at your own pace. It’s as simple as learning what language will be helpful in your field and getting started.

Learning Resources

Udemy: A large library of courses about any coding language you can think of. The courses are not free, but they start at around $10 depending on the content and length.

Udacity: Founded by Google alum, Sebastian Thrun, Udacity offers a range of free courses on coding and computer science. They allow you to take the courses at your own speed as well as taking one or two courses or even earning a “nanodegree.”

2. Spoken Languages

Communication is essential to success in any industry. With technology increasing global connectivity and increasingly diverse workforces, there’s a high chance that English won’t be the only language spoken at your company. Learning a second or even third language can open a lot of doors for you.

What makes it easier is that you don’t have to become fluent. Even a functional amount of any language can allow you to communicate with others much more easily. It has been said that if you want to sell, you have to speak the language of the buyer. Adding more languages to your portfolio allows you to reach more people wherever you work.

Learning Resources

Preply: If you aren’t interested in learning from the ground up starting with non-useful phrases, Preply is for you. Paired with an experienced tutor, you can learn one of many languages quickly. As the tutors are contractors, they set their prices, but you can choose your tutor based on the price you wish to pay.

Duolingo: If you’re looking for a free service, Duolingo is for you. They teach you languages from the ground up so that you can get a full grasp of grammar and syntax. They offer a premium account and with that subscription you can take lessons offline and ad-free.

3. Leadership Skills

Frequently, people who are top performers become managers. When they get there, it may become obvious that even though they knew their position well, they don’t know how to manage others. Developing your leadership skills is incredibly useful if you’re looking to move up the corporate ladder.

Even if you aren’t looking for a promotion, lateral leadership goes a long way to helping build and maintain a high-functioning team. Taking the time to learn things like team building, empathy, and how to develop your employees can not only land you your next position but ensure that you can move up when the time comes.

Learning Resources

Coursera: Starting at $29, Coursera offers 4-6 week courses on a wide range of skills. Built as a non-profit learning resource, Coursera users can even work toward full degrees with their classes.

LinkedIn Learning: LinkedIn’s offering is geared specifically toward learning skills to advance your career. No matter what phase of your career you’re in or the industry you work in, they have courses for you. Membership is based on a monthly fee that gives you access to many of their courses on your own time.